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coalition_letter_in_support_of_mitigation_in_disaster_policy_reform_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf
A coalition of 19 organizations submitted a letter to U.S. Senate leadership on June 8, 2018, urging the inclusion of disaster recovery and resilience provisions from the House-passed FAA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4) in the final legislation. The coalition specifically advocates for the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) and the PREPARE Act of 2018 to shift federal focus toward pre-disaster mitigation and resilient rebuilding.
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Document type: Statement
R-PACE: A GAME-CHANGER FOR NET-ZERO ENERGY HOMES
This insight brief by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (R-PACE) financing can accelerate the adoption of net-zero energy (NZE) new construction in the United States. By attaching financing to the property rather than the owner, R-PACE addresses key market barriers such as high up-front capital costs and the split incentive between builders and homebuyers.
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Document type: Briefing
The U.S. Climate Alliance and Related Actions
This fact sheet describes the formation and goals of the United States Climate Alliance and other subnational efforts to uphold the 2016 Paris Agreement following the Trump Administration's decision to withdraw the United States from the accord.
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Document type: Fact sheet
HOW TO SCALE HOME ENERGY FINANCING PRODUCTS
This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the landscape of home energy financing in the United States, identifying barriers to scaling both traditional and nontraditional lending products. It argues that the ease of origination and the timing of home improvements are more significant drivers of consumer choice than interest rates or loan terms.
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Document type: Briefing
Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) issued a statement responding to a Fraser Institute report, arguing that the phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Ontario provided significant health and environmental benefits. CAPE asserts that coal plants were major contributors to sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury, and greenhouse gas emissions, and that their closure contributed to measurable declines in air pollution and related health burdens.
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Document type: Statement
Vote for the environment
A statement from Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica urging the organization's 750,000 members and allies to vote in the November 8 election to secure an environmental majority in government to protect laws and end fossil fuel subsidies.
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Document type: Statement
DESIGNING A PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE MECHANISM FOR PEAK LOAD REDUCTION: A STRAW PROPOSAL
This white paper proposes a Performance Incentive Mechanism (PIM) to encourage utilities to prioritize peak load reduction over capital-intensive infrastructure expansion. The author recommends using an outcome-oriented metric—specifically percentage reduction in peak load—and a sloped, symmetrical compensation structure with upper and lower caps to align utility incentives with system efficiency and customer value.
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Document type: Report
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN PUBLICLY-OWNED UTILITIES
This report by Energy Innovation outlines a three-step framework for improving the performance of publicly-owned utilities (POUs), including municipal utilities, public utility districts, and cooperatives. It emphasizes the use of performance-management practices, governance reforms, and financial restructuring to align utility operations with customer values and public policy priorities.
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Document type: Report
US States’ ability to protect from toxic chemicals under attack on two fronts – at home and abroad
A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) arguing that the chemical industry is attempting to undermine the ability of US states to enact protective toxic chemical legislation through the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
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Document type: Statement
#flirtingwithdisaster on Valentine’s Day
A fact sheet by Friends of the Earth detailing how climate change and extreme weather patterns threaten the production of common Valentine's Day gifts, including chocolate, coffee, wine, flowers, and other agricultural products.
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Document type: Fact sheet
PREEMPTING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes how the proposed Regulatory Cooperation chapter of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement could undermine the authority of US states to implement public health and environmental protections. The author argues that the agreement's goals of regulatory convergence and compatibility would effectively create a regulatory ceiling, preventing states from adopting standards more protective than federal minimums, particularly regarding toxic chemicals and pesticides.
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Document type: Report
Addressing Methane Emissions from Distribution Sector
A letter from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont to the EPA urging the agency to regulate methane leaks from the natural gas distribution sector.
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Document type: Statement
Comments on EPA Methane White Papers
A joint statement from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish formal emission standards and guidelines for methane in the oil and gas sector following the publication of five technical white papers.
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Document type: Statement
Heat Pumps
This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the economic and environmental costs of heating oil in the Northeast United States and proposes heat pumps as a viable, low-cost alternative to both oil and natural gas expansion.
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Document type: Report
Two kinds of demand-response
This briefing by Energy Innovation describes two distinct applications of demand-response (DR) programs: as a capacity resource to mitigate peak demand and as a balancing tool to integrate variable renewable energy. The document argues that DR is a cost-effective alternative to building new power generation or investing in expensive grid-scale battery storage.
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Document type: Briefing
CLIMATE ADAPTATION & TRANSPORTATION Identifying Information and Assistance Needs
This report summarizes a 2011 workshop on climate adaptation for transportation, highlighting that local contextual data (e.g., infrastructure condition) is often more critical for decision-making than broad climate models. It identifies significant communication gaps between scientists and engineers, calls for a central information clearinghouse, and recommends updating engineering standards to move beyond historical data. Key needs include higher-resolution precipitation data, better economic tools for cost-benefit analysis of adaptation, and increased federal support for state and local capacity building.
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Document type: Report
Understanding Interstate Differences in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This research paper analyzes the drivers of per capita carbon dioxide emissions across U.S. states, identifying specific socioeconomic and climatic factors that contribute to higher emissions levels.
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Document type: Research paper
State Actions on Climate Change: A Focus on How Our Communities Grow
This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) analyzes how state climate action plans in the United States incorporate land use, transportation, and green building policies as of July 2009. It finds that while transportation and green building are common, specific 'smart growth' land use practices are the least frequent component of these plans.
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Document type: Report
Global Warming Case Taken Up By Supreme Court Statement of Norman Dean, Executive Director, Friends of the Earth
A statement by Norman Dean, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, regarding the Supreme Court's decision to hear a case on whether the Bush Administration must regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act.
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Document type: Statement
MAKING MARKETS IN RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
This 1989 research paper by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues for the creation of markets in resource efficiency to combat the economic tendency to treat natural resource depletion and pollution as free goods. Lovins proposes treating saved resources—such as 'negawatts' of electricity—as commodities that can be traded, auctioned, and hedged, providing a market-based alternative to regulatory mandates. He asserts that efficient technology is generally cheaper than producing new resources, creating a significant profit opportunity for those who sell efficiency rather than the resource itself.
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Document type: Research paper